Lemon Squares

An old-fashioned family favourite! No tray of dainties or squares would be complete without Lemon Squares (sometimes called Lemon Bars). I took the traditional recipe and switched up just a few things: I replaced the eggs and the butter making this a completely Kind guilt-less pleasure. I even used a pinch of turmeric to give a yellow colour that is absent due to the lack of eggs.

This was my umpteenth attempt at trying to veganize this recipe, and although I had varying degrees of success (all were edible and eaten, I assure you!!) this one came the closest in texture to the eggy tradtional curd that fills a typical lemon bar. This was my FIRST foray into the use of a commercial egg replacer. I have always had luck using other things (cornstarch, apple sauce, flax egg, vinegar/soda, etc etc) but in this one, nothing else seemed to work. I will keep trying to come up with another recipe that doesn’t use commercial egg replacer so that anyone, even people without access to the product, can make this.

In the meantime, however, I give you: KIND-IFIED LEMON SQUARES! These are soft and gooey with a crisp “buttery” short crust. An absolute delight to eat on a springtime afternoon.

Pinch turmeric (for colour - you can omit, it doesn't affect the taste but it makes it *look* lemony) (about ⅛th tsp - it gets yellower as it bakes)

4 tbsp lemon juice

Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 350'F

Make the crust by combining the flour, icing sugar, and oil with a fork until it resembles course crumbs. Add in 2 tbsp cold water and combine. This will be a crumbly mixture but if you squeeze a handful it should stick together, if not add another tbsp of water.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 pan.

Bake 350'F for 10-15minutes, or until just becoming golden.

Meanwhile, while the crust is baking make the filling:

Mix together your egg replacer.

Then add all the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well.

When the crust is done, remove from oven.

Pour the filling mixture over the crust and return to the oven for 20-30minutes.

The filling will bubble and be quite runny. By the end it will appear mostly solid and beginning to turn dark at the edges. Don't worry if it's still a bit jiggly in spots, it will firm up as it cools.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with icing sugar. Let cool.

Once cool, slice into squares and serve. You may need to re-dust the top with icing sugar, depending on how moist it was when you brought it out of the oven.

Notes

If you'd rather not use coconut oil - you can substitute the ⅓ cup coconut oil AND the water for ½ cup vegan butter. This will be just fine.

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They say that the kitchen is the heartbeat of the home. It is the room in which memories are made, meals are enjoyed, heartfelt talks are held, and where drinks are shared with friends. The kitchen is also the room that allows us to easily put a bit more kindness into the world by the food choices we make each day.

I am a passionate vegetarian home cook who loves to provide filling, practical meals as well as the occasional decadent treat for my family and friends. I will explore some modified classics as well as create some all-new food traditions. I’ll also provide helpful tips and techniques to make kindness in the kitchen an easy transition for any home cook. Because everything I post are the foods we actually eat in our household, you can be sure that these recipes are tried, tested, and true.

Eating with kindness doesn’t mean giving up family traditions and old favourites! Here at Kindness Kitchen you will find those comforting dishes you’ve always loved, along with some new additions, just without the use of animal products, making them kind for your health, kind for the earth, and kind for the animals. I hope these recipes will help you on your way to creating your own kind kitchen.